Fibre Channel Switching Appliance

1. A networking device for use in computer networks comprising: two switch modules; each switch module having a plurality of ports operable to couple together a plurality of computing components; two power supplies operably coupled to each switch module; a user-operable selector operably coupled to the switch modules; and the selector operable to configure the plurality of ports into one of at least two port-zoning configurations in response to operation of the selector by a user and to indicate a plurality of cabling connections to be made between the plurality of ports and the plurality of computing components.

2. The networking device of claim 1 further comprising each power supply operable to power the switch modules.

3. The networking device of claim 1 further comprising the user selection mechanism operable to configure each switch module according to a user selected port-zoning configuration.

4. The networking device of claim 1 further comprising a 1U chassis enclosing the switch modules, the power supplies and the user selection mechanism.

5. The networking device of claim 1 further comprising hot-pluggable switch modules.

6. The networking device of claim 1 further comprising hot-pluggable power supplies.

7. The networking device of claim 1 further comprising Fibre Channel switch modules.

8. The networking device of claim 1 further comprising a port-zoning configuration confirmation mechanism operable to confirm a port-zoning configuration selected with the user selection mechanism.

9. The networking device of claim 1 further comprising: a plurality of LEDs operably associated with the plurality of ports; and the LEDs operable to indicate at least one cabling connection to be made between the plurality of ports and the plurality of computing components in response to a port-zoning configuration selected with the user selection mechanism.

10. The networking device of claim 1 further comprising: at least one processor and at least one memory operably coupled to the switch modules; a program of instructions storable in the memory and executable in the processor; and the program of instructions operable to assign zone to the plurality of ports in response to selection of a port-zoning configuration.

11. A method for communicatively coupling a plurality of computing components comprising: providing at least two switch modules, each switch module having a plurality of ports operable to communicatively couple the plurality of computing components; providing a user-operable selector operably coupled to the switch modules; maintaining a program of instructions operable to configure the plurality of ports into one of at least two port-zoning configurations in response to operation of the selector and to indicate a plurality of cabling connections to be made between the plurality of ports and the plurality of computing components; and selecting one of the at least two port-zoning configurations according to the program of instructions.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising confirming the port-zoning configuration selected with the user selection mechanism.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising activating a plurality of LEDs associated with the plurality of ports to indicate at least one cabling connection to be made in accordance with the port-zoning configuration selected with the user selection mechanism.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising configuring each switch module according to a selected port-zoning configuration.

15. A computing system comprising: a plurality of computing components; a switching appliance operably coupled to the plurality of computing components; the switching appliance having a plurality of switch modules, a power source operably coupled to the switch modules, a plurality of ports operably coupled to the switch modules and the plurality of computing components, at least one processor, at least one memory and a program of instructions executable by the processor and storable in the memory; the switching appliance further including a user-operable selector operably coupled to the switch modules; the program of instructions operable to configure the plurality of ports according to a user selected port-zoning configuration selected from a plurality of pre-programmed port-zoning configurations based on input from the user-operable selector; and the program of instructions operable to indicate a plurality of cabling connections to be made between the plurality of ports and the plurality of computing components.

16. The computing system of claim 15 further comprising: the power source including at least one power supply operably coupled to each switch module; and each power supply operable to provide power to the plurality of switch modules.

17. The computing system of claim 15 further comprising the power source having a power supply paralleling backplane.

18. The computing system of claim 15 further comprising: a port-zoning configuration confirmation mechanism operably coupled to the user selection mechanism; and the port-zoning configuration confirmation mechanism operable to confirm configuration of the plurality of ports by the program of instructions.

19. The computing system of claim 15 further comprising the program of instructions operable to illuminate LEDs associated with the plurality of ports to indicate the cabling connections to be made.

20. The computing system of claim 15 further comprising the program of instructions operable to generate a map of the cabling connections to be made between the plurality of ports and the plurality of computing components.

21. The computing system of claim 15 further comprising the program of instructions operable to configure the plurality of ports coupled to each switch module according to a port-zoning configuration selected with the user selection mechanism.

22. The computing system of claim 15 further comprising Fibre Channel switch modules.

23. The computing system of claim 15 further comprising: hot-pluggable switch modules; and a hot-pluggable power source.

24. A switching appliance comprising: a plurality of Fibre Channel switch modules; each Fibre Channel switch module having a plurality of ports; a plurality of power supplies operably coupled to the plurality of Fibre Channel switch modules; each power supply operable to power the plurality of Fibre Channel switch modules; at least one processor and at least one memory operably coupled to the Fibre Channel switch modules and the power supplies; a program of instructions storable in the memory and executable in the processor; the program of instructions operable to configure the ports of each Fibre Channel switch module into a plurality of port-zoning configurations; the program of instructions operable to indicate a plurality of cabling connections to be made between the plurality of ports and a plurality of associated computing components a user-operable selector operably coupled to the Fibre Channel switch modules and the processor; and the user-operable selector operable to select one of the plurality of port-zoning configurations and to initiate the program of instructions such that the ports on each Fibre Channel switch module are configured according to the selected port-zoning configuration.

25. The switching appliance of claim 24 further comprising hot-pluggable Fibre Channel switch modules and hot pluggable power supplies.

26. The switching appliance of claim 24 further comprising the program of instructions operable to generate at least one cable connection indicator associated with the plurality of ports.

27. A computer network comprising: a plurality of computing components; a switching appliance communicatively coupled with the plurality of computing components; the switching appliance having two hot-pluggable switch modules, each switch module having a plurality of ports, two hot-pluggable power supplies operably coupled to the two switch modules, a user selection mechanism operably coupled to the switch modules, the user selection mechanism operable to select one of a plurality of port-zoning configurations, a port-zoning configuration confirmation mechanism operably coupled to the user selection mechanism, the port-zoning configuration confirmation mechanism operable to initiate a program of instructions in response to confirmation of the selected port-zoning configuration, and the program of instructions operable to configure the ports of the switch modules according to the selected port-zoning configuration.

28. The computer network of claim 27 further comprising: a plurality of LEDs operably coupled to the plurality of ports; and the program of instructions operable to illuminate the LEDs such that the plurality of computing components may be communicatively coupled with the switching appliance according to the selected port-zoning configuration.